Coroner Services

Overview

Coroner Services is an independent and publicly accountable investigation of death agency. Coroner Services is mandated to review all suspicious or questionable deaths in New Brunswick, conduct inquests as may be required in the public interest and does not have a vested interest of any kind in the outcome of death investigations. There are no fees attached to this service.

Eligibility

Every person who has reason to believe that a person died as a result of violence, misadventure, negligence, misconduct, or malpractice; during pregnancy or following pregnancy in circumstances that might reasonably be attributable to the pregnancy; suddenly and unexpectedly; from disease or sickness for which there was no treatment given by a medical practitioner; from any cause other than disease or natural causes; or under such circumstances as may require investigation; shall, unless he knows that a coroner has already been notified, immediately notify a coroner of the facts and circumstances relating to the death.

Description

Every person who has reason to believe that a person died as a result of:
- violence, misadventure;
- negligence, misconduct, or malpractice;
- during pregnancy or following pregnancy in circumstances that might reasonably be attributable to the pregnancy;
- suddenly and unexpectedly;
- from disease or sickness for which there was no treatment given by a medical practitioner;
- from any cause other than disease or natural causes; or under such circumstances as may require investigation;

shall, unless they know that a coroner has already been notified, immediately notify a coroner of the facts and circumstances relating to the death.

Coroner Services is responsible for the investigation of all reported deaths in order to determine for each case the identity of the deceased and the facts as to how, when, where and by what means the deceased came to their death in an attempt to expose the circumstances surrounding each death and potentially reduce the risk of the same incident happening again. In certain circumstances, a coroner may hold an inquest.

The holding of an inquest has an effect of drawing public attention to the many contributing causes of sudden and unexpected deaths. The Chief Coroner is responsible for bringing the findings and recommendations arising out of inquests to the attention of appropriate persons, agencies and government departments. The results of coroner's investigations are available to the deceased's family and insurers and provide support to the criminal justice system and investigative agencies. Recommendations made by the Coroner or inquest juries inform public policy on the need to prevent deaths in the future.